Hello

We visited the site yesterday for the first - have driven past a few times, and knew that it had been rejuvenated from reading local papers - with the purpose of  visiting the new local, monthly market, Duck Pond Farm Market.

We went in through the Bury Street Entrance.  The courtyard is a gravelled affar, that has a number of small craft units around it.  There are toilets with running hot water.

What a great place.  The Great Barn (where the market currently operates), is a grand wooden structure, with vast beams, that seems to have been sympathetically restored to retain its heritage and essence.  For history and archetectural info click(?) here or paste the link into your browser:

http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=8991

The market itself was very lively, and had a good buzz about it.  

It did not seem like a post-Christmas "credit crunch" January marjket day.  There were a number of craft stalls, wooden toy stalls, and oh, the food stalls.

You want some bread - no problem.  

You want some veg - no problem.  

You want some honey - no problem.  

You want some Italian sauces - no problem.

My personal highlight, and by the length of the queues the rest of the public, was the Argentine steak sandwich, organic sausgaes, beefburgers and steak, hot food stall. Phew! try saying that after one too many!

These are the few that I can remember.

Outside of the Great Barn there is an on-site cafe that offers a good variation of food at reasonable prices.

That is as far as we manged to go as the little ones started to become restless.

WIll be going back soon and will add an update.  

The next market will be held on Sunday 15th February between 10am and 3.00pm, but for more details and information please visit:

http://www.duckpondmarket.co.uk/duckpondmarket.co.uk/Welcome.html

Thank you for the lovely review Peter - I started the market in December, I've not run a market before, and it's taken off brilliantly! I wanted to encourage local arts, crafts, and food producers to come and sell locally - there is nothing like this anywhere near - and give the whole thing a festival vibe.... with live music, petting zoo, face painting, craft corner, and hopefully street performers in the near future...
We now have 70 stalls and it's so busy each month - this Sunday is the 4th market, we have new stalls, and I hope it will be even busier!
Hope to see you there,
Caron
www.duckpondmarket.co.uk